Escape to the Château was once the perfect show to unwind with, as viewers followed married couple Dick and Angel Strawbridge renovating their Château de la Motte Husson in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France. But recent reports have revealed that life behind the cameras was far from serene.
In May, it was confirmed that Channel 4 had officially ended its partnership with Dick and Angel. According to Deadline, the decision followed an independent investigation into the couple’s conduct on the show. Concerns had initially been raised by Two Rivers Media, the production company behind the Escape to the Château franchise.
The investigation reportedly examined clashes between the couple and production staff, with an independent HR professional interviewing producers and crew members.
A Channel 4 spokesperson stated: “Following a review, we have taken the decision not to work with Dick and Angel on any new productions in the future.” Two Rivers Media added: “We can confirm that we will no longer work with Dick and Angel and cannot comment further at the moment.”
Speaking about their policies, they added: “Channel 4 is taking an active role in challenging unacceptable behaviour in our industry. Following a review of our processes in 2021 we have made it easier to raise complaints both formally and informally.
“We require all our production partners to follow our Supplier Code of Conduct and when concerns are raised with us, they will be taken seriously and action will happen to ensure they are investigated and addressed appropriately. There is always more to do and alongside our suppliers we are committed to building safe, inclusive and professional working environments.”
Angel Strawbridge audio recording leak
In late May, an audio recording where Angel can be heard using offensive language to a crew member was leaked to the media. Deadline originally shared the recording, where Angel can be heard saying: “I went onto your Instagram and saw some of the pictures that you have put up. There are some on there… what about the one with the chef with the big moustache and the big shoulders? Who is that inspired by when you’re [expletive] working at the chateau? Just tell me that and then you can [expletive] leave and this is me [expletive] angry because I think you’re a [expletive] up little [expletive] actually. This is me angry. I just wanted to know where you both were.”
Dick and Angel Strawberry’s response
Following the recording leak, the couple released a joint statement via Instagram that read: “It was a Strawbridge Family decision early last year to conclude Escape To The Chateau. We know there are lots of stories in the press right now. It’s not worth us even trying to comment or give context, because anything can be made into a good headline. We understand. There are two sides to every story and from the incredible support we have received, most of you know that.
“We are proud of who we are, and we feel we must do what we believe to be correct, that is in fact what kept Escape to the Chateau unique, and whilst we have indeed parted ways with Channel 4, we are hugely grateful to them and their teams for their support and creativity over the years. The future truly could not look more exciting and we thank you for your continued love and support.”
Previous controversy on Escape to the Chateau
Dick and Angel were accused of being “aggressive and abusive” in a report by The Times, with Angel later telling The Telegraph: “If you asked every single person on our team, they would all say that Dick is completely chivalrous. He will always be that person opening doors, helping people, and if anyone upsets me, he will be the first person to take control of the situation. He is very protective.”
She continued: “One of them, the main one we think, we only met for a couple of hours. The people who were here for any length of time were family; the kids knew them and we really opened up our world to them, so you can imagine that it felt very sad to read a lot of that stuff.”